Cheesy excuse? MotoGP rider blames injury on Parmesan

MotoGP racing is very physical; a finger injury can stop you from riding. File photo: Luca Zennaro / EPA

Misano Adriatico, Italy - British MotoGP rider Cal Crutchlow has blamed his latest injury, a severed tendon in his left index finger, on hard cheese.

"Cutting Parmesan's a dangerous thing," the LCR Honda rider told reporters at Italy's Misano circuit ahead of Sunday's San Marino Grand Prix. "I wish I could give you a story like I had to fight a bear or something good.

"My wife Lucy does the cooking," he explained. "I'm a terrible cook so I don't bother. But I was cutting the cheese to go with my dinner...and the knife came out of the cheese and went straight in my finger."

Crutchlow said he went to bed and woke up the next morning with his finger still bleeding, at which point he decided to get it seen to and was referred to hospital, where he then needed surgery.

"It was a bad day on Monday but I managed to ride the bike on Tuesday in Barcelona," said the two times race winner, who is eighth in the MotoGP standings. "It's difficult, sure, but I think it's possible.

"Obviously it's disappointing, straight after a good weekend in Silverstone, he added. "Maybe it won't cause problems or maybe it will."

Crutchlow finished fourth in his home Grand Prix, after qualifying on the front row in third.